


You, again

by thedragontheprincessthewriter



Series: The Journals of Mandy Milkovich [3]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 12:25:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3290252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedragontheprincessthewriter/pseuds/thedragontheprincessthewriter





	You, again

She's driving off, away from the Milkovich house, from her childhood home, before it can catch up with her. She hasn't visited in so long, but now she's glad she did. Still, she doesn't want to stay for too long. She knows that here, there is no such thing as overstaying her welcome, but she feels fear like an old ghost in this house, and wonders how Mickey and Ian can live with it.

She hurries out, baby in her arms, and quickly straps her into her car seat. She's made it about a block away when she realizes Violet has once again managed to free herself from her restraints and brakes the car to a halt. People say Mandy was exactly like that when she was a child, but she doubts she was as bad as her daughter. Violet turns her witchy, purple eyes on her and Mandy rolls hers back, trying, without having to get out of the car, to maneuver her into a sitting position again.

One of the back doors swings open, and though Mandy didn't notice it right away, she's nothing if not prepared. There's no way to be born in this neighborhood and not be. She grabs a tire iron from underneath her seat and gets ready to jump out of the car, but a hand holds her door shut.

"Whoa," says the familiar voice, surprised but still calm and cool. "Chill out."

The tire iron falls to the floor with a clang that Mandy wishes didn't quite sound so dramatic.

Lip shuts the door and reaches in through the back window, strapping Violet to the seat with such quick efficiency it makes the kid laugh instead of cry, the way she does whenever Mandy does it. Lip always did have a way with children.

"I was just tryin' to help."

Mandy catches her breath, trying to convince herself, and maybe Lip, too, that the only thing she was afraid of was someone trying to kidnap her daughter. But maybe he knows her too well for that, knows that Mandy Milkovich would never be afraid of a stranger the way she would of someone she knows.

She breathes in deeply, trying to remind herself that he's a stranger, now, too.

"Nice car," he comments, and all she can do is nod.

"Surprised they let you drive it to this shithole."

"They?"

"However's car this is."

She rolls her eyes. _Of course._ "It's my car, Lip."

He raises his eyebrows, impressed. "I didn't know you were listening all those times I talked to you about--"

"I didn't jack it from anyone. It's mine."

"Oh."

She glances back at Violet, making sure she's OK, and turns her car back on. "It was nice seeing you."

"Mandy, wait."

"What?"

"Don't go."

There they are. The words he should have said then. Not exactly the ones she wanted to hear, but those would have been good enough to make her stay.

Now, they're only about ten years too late.


End file.
